International law handbook

Treaty Series
, vol. 2171, p. 227; reg. no. 27531
The States Parties to the present Protocol
,
Considering
that, in order further to achieve the purposes of the Convention on the Rights of 
the Child and the implementation of its provisions, especially articles 1, 11, 21, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, 
it would be appropriate to extend the measures that States Parties should undertake in order to guar-
antee the protection of the child from the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography,
Considering also
that the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the right of the 
child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be 
hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physi-
cal, mental, spiritual, moral or social development,
Gravely concerned
at the significant and increasing international traffic of children for the 
purpose of the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography,
Deeply concerned
at the widespread and continuing practice of sex tourism, to which children 
are especially vulnerable, as it directly promotes the sale of children, child prostitution and child 
pornography,
Recognizing
that a number of particularly vulnerable groups, including girl children, are at 
greater risk of sexual exploitation, and that girl children are disproportionately represented among 
the sexually exploited,
Concerned
about the growing availability of child pornography on the Internet and other 
evolving technologies, and recalling the International Conference on Combating Child Pornog-
raphy on the Internet (Vienna, 1999) and, in particular, its conclusion calling for the worldwide 
criminalization of the production, distribution, exportation, transmission, importation, intentional 
possession and advertising of child pornography, and stressing the importance of closer cooperation 
and partnership between Governments and the Internet industry,
Believing
that the elimination of the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography 
will be facilitated by adopting a holistic approach, addressing the contributing factors, including 
underdevelopment, poverty, economic disparities, inequitable socioeconomic structure, dysfunc-
tioning families, lack of education, urban-rural migration, gender discrimination, irresponsible 
adult sexual behaviour, harmful traditional practices, armed conflicts and trafficking of children,
Believing
that efforts to raise public awareness are needed to reduce consumer demand for the 
sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and also believing in the importance of 
strengthening global partnership among all actors and of improving law enforcement at the national 
level,
Noting
the provisions of international legal instruments relevant to the protection of chil-
dren, including the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation with Respect 
to Inter-Country Adoption, the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child 
Abduction, the Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and 
Cooperation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children, and 
International Labour Organization Convention No. 182 on the Prohibition and Immediate Action 
for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour,
Encouraged
by the overwhelming support for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, dem-
onstrating the widespread commitment that exists for the promotion and protection of the rights 
of the child,

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